Beware the Power of the Russian Soldier, Part 2

Welcome back dear readers. Today I will tell you the story of two more epics of Russian arms, that the world has seen few of and as a warning to those peoples of West, least your deranged leaders decide to throw you and your children into the cold jaws of war with Russia.

This first tale takes place during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905. Another war that the powers of the British from behind Russia and the Americans, from behind Japan, created.

During the dark days of 1904, where one defeat after another fell upon the Russian forces in Korea and Manchuria, the Japanese seem triumphant. Of course the Japanese were suffering such horrid losses for every victory that by 1905 they threw themselves at the feet of the Americans to force Russia to negotiate peace. What finally brought that peace was the French threatening to end investment loans to the booming Russian economy, if the Russian army did not end its counter attacks in 1905 and sue for peace.

But I digress.

So, here we are, Port Arthur has capitulated and the Japanese are throwing their forces to the north to push the Russian Manchurian army out. The Russian high command chooses General-Major Pavel Mischenko and his Cossack divisions to penetrate the Japanese left flank, circle around into deep Japanese territory and destroy the train nexus and lines at Inkoi.


General-Major Pavel Mischenko

For this, Mischenko took only volunteers. He forewarned  the volunteers that due to the type of mission, all wounded or sick soldiers would be left behind, on the retreat, to keep from slowing down the column. He was flooded with volunteers. Further, to his credit, though, Mischenko left no one behind for the Japanese, even though he was flooded by wounded men after the battles of the raid.

On the onset of the new year of 1905, he left with 7500 men and 22 cavalry artillery pieces and 4 machineguns.

On 27 December 1905, in 3 columns, Mischenko moved his forces deep into enemy territory. Chinese spying for the Japanese passed information on about the Russian movements. Several small battles erupted along the way, but did nothing to slow the Russian forces down.


Inkoi itself was a heavily fortified position on the Liaohe River, 135km behind Russian lines. Against the Cossack cavalry stood Japanese line infantry in entrenched positions.

The battle started with an artillery barrage by Mischenko, that then proceeded to catch much of the town of Inkoi on fire. These were the fires of New Years 1905. Colonel Haranov and 1500 Cossacks led the attack, the rest held in reserve.


Inkoi fortifications.

The Japanese, for their part, sat behind their entrenchments, their barbed wire and their trenches and cut the attacking Cossacks down. Three waves were cut down by artillery, machineguns and rifle fire, as they fought through obstacles and wire, to reach the enemy. The wounded were left on the field, the Japanese refusing to allow their evacuation.

Russian forces pushed the Japanese back and were able to destroy the rail line and the enemy stockpiles. The Cossacks did not take Inkoi, however, as a final assault had to be called off when news arrived of a very large Japanese column (5 infantry battalions) approaching the burning town.

During the retreat, in 3 columns, one of the columns, commanded by Colonel Teleshov, was surrounded by Japanese infantry in the town of Sinulechenzo. The 25th and 26th Donski brigades, distinguished themselves in battle, forcing the Japanese infantry to back out and open an escape route for the Cossacks. In all, 408 were killed, of which, very few bodies were left behind and none of the wounded were left to Japanese mercies, all having been evacuated. All this in the grips of heavy winter weather.

During the raid, several Japanese command positions were overran and destroyed. Small stockpiles between the start point and Inkoi were also destroyed. Additionally 600 wagons of provisions were destroyed, 600 Japanese soldiers were killed and 17 brought back as prisoners. Also, the Cossacks were able to cut the Japanese held rail line in several locations.

This raid scared the Japanese high command, forcing scarce forces back from the front lines, that the Japanese were unable to carry out their planned offensive on time.







Another source comes to us from a letter written by a French grenadier during the Crimean war, as the French, British and Turks besieged the city of Sevestople, the city of Heroes. This is the very city the lunatics at the US government thought to rip away from Russia and make it a NATO base. They even placed tenders on government sites (American) for renovation work on their upcoming new bases. Tsk tsk.

The letter is to Paris to a friend named Morris, found in the historical archival work of 1970: Young Guard, by U. Davidov.

"Our major tells us that by all theories of the science of war, it is well past time for them to capitulate. For each of their guns -- we have five, for each of their soldiers -- we have ten. And you should see their rifles! More than likely, our grandfathers who stormed the Bastille, had better rifles. They are out of shells. Each morning their women and children go out into the field between fortifications and gather bags of gravel. We have started to shoot at them. Yes! We shoot at women and children. Do not be surprised. Is not that gravel (as grapeshot round) that they gather not meant for us! But they do not leave. The women spit in our direction and the boys show their tongues.

They have nothing to eat. We see how they take a small piece of bread and divide it up amongst five. But from where do they take the strength to fight? For each of our attacks they answer with a counter attack and force us to retreat behind our fortifications. Do not laugh, Morris, at our soldiers. We are not cowards, but when a Russian has a bayonet in his hands...even to a tree I would advice to move out of his way. I, dear Morris, some times stop believing my major. It begins to seem to me, that this war will never end. Yesterday, before nightfall, we attacked for the fourth time that day and for the fourth time retreated.

Russian sailors (I did write to you, that they left their boats and now man the barricades) went chasing after us. In the lead ran a short stout fellow with a thin black mustache and an earring. He took down two of ours -- one with a bayonet, the other with the stock -- and he was aiming for a third one when a goodly portion of shrapnel blew straight into his face. The arm of the sailor flew off, blood flew in a fountain. He ran a few more steps and collapsed on our battlements. We pulled him in and bandaged him up as much as we could and put him in the bunker. He was still breathing. "If he does not die before morning, send him to the infirmary." said our corporal. "As for now, it is late, why bother with him?"

That night I suddenly awakened, as if someone kicked me in the back. It was pitch dark in the bunker, as if my eyes were ripped out. I lay there for a long time, without moving, and could not fall asleep. Suddenly, in the corner, I heard a shuffling. I light a match. And what do you think I found? The wounded Russian sailor had crawled up to a barrel of powder. In his one remaining arm he held flint and steel. Pale as a sheet, with clenched teeth, he was fully concentrated with one arm on lighting the powder. A little more and all of us, along with him, along with the whole bunker would have flown into the air. I jumped down, ripped out of his hand the flint and yelled out. Why did I yell? The danger was past. Believe me, Morris, for the first time in the span of this war, I felt fear. If a wounded, bleeding out sailor, who lost his arm, does not give up, but tries to blow up into the air himself and his enemies -- then we need to end this war. Fighting against such people is hopeless."

So I ask you Europeans, who ever two generations seem to have to learn the hard lesson: are you mad enough to sacrifice yet another one or two generations against us? Are you ready to die...you dear European reader, so that American oligarchs and your bought and paid for politicians, who will surely run to America when our armies and your revolutions come, can get richer yet?

And you foolish and ignorant of reality Americans, are you ready for your first real war of attrition, like nothing short of your civil war? We are no Arabs or American Indians, we are truly the worst nightmare you can ever face and when your active army is destroyed, it is you and your children who will be drafted to die next.

Are you ready? We are.